Travel Diary: Secretary Clinton in Uganda

On August 3, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Kampala, Uganda where she met with President Museveni to encourage strengthening of democratic institutions and human rights, while also reinforcing Uganda as a key U.S. partner in promoting regional security, particularly in regard to Somalia and in regional efforts to counter the Lord's Resistance Army. She also presented the State Department's 2011 Human Rights Defenders Award to a coalition of civil society groups and highlighted U.S. support in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

During her remarks at the Reach Out Mbuya Health Center, Secretary Clinton said, "Today, more than 300,000 Ugandans are receiving treatment through PEPFAR. PEPFAR is the program that the United States started under President George W. Bush. And I will be looking forward to be meeting with John Robert Engole who eight years ago was near death. He was the first person in the world to receive life-saving medication through PEPFAR. And now there are 300,000 Ugandans receiving medication through PEPFAR. And I want to do more to make sure that every person has the opportunity to become healthy.

"And we have seen here at Reach Out and in other places across your country how this can be done. In the 1990s, thanks to your government, thanks to your officials, thanks to the citizens, we had the best program in the world right here in Uganda."

Secretary Clinton concluded, "So let me close by saying that the American people are deeply proud to be your partners and your friends, and we're going to keep working together on the economy, on better opportunities for people, as President Museveni said, on electricity, on infrastructure, on security, education, and health. And we have so much confidence that Uganda will, once again, be a model in HIV/AIDS, continue to develop, and make a difference for the people of this great and beautiful country."

You can read the Secretary's full remarks here, and follow her trip to Africa from July 31 through August 10 on www.state.gov.

Comments

Comments

Jjingo B.

|

Uganda

August 6, 2012

Samuel B. in Uganda writes:

Practical modern social democratic policies should include the promotion of a welfare Africa, and the creation of economic democracy as a means to secure Africa'.